Instant Pot Green Beans

Name: Instant Pot Green Beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 21 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup water; 1 pound fresh green beans (ends trimmed); 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter; garlic salt (to taste); black pepper (to taste)

One minute is all it takes to cook instant pot green beans. Fresh, vibrant beans tossed in butter and seasonings makes an excellent side dish with hardly any prep work involved!

Tongs holding up a bunch of Instant Pot Green Beans

Why this recipe works

The easiest, quickest way to make fresh green beans is to use the trusty ole pressure cooker. These instant pot green beans are perfectly tender-crisp and insanely simple to make.

Just add the beans to the pot, cook on high pressure for a minute, then add the butter and seasonings and you have yourself a side dish in a snap of a finger.

Instant Pot Green Beans in a metal platter

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

GREEN BEANS – You’ll want to use fresh green beans for this recipe with the ends trimmed. Choose firm but flexible green beans for the best results.

SEASONINGS – Feel free to play around with the seasonings. We stuck to a simple mixture of garlic salt and pepper but they’d also taste great with a sprinkle of cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, homemade Montreal steak seasoning, or red pepper flakes.

How to Make Instant Pot Green Beans

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Add the water to the Instant Pot, then add the rack insert. If you don’t have the basket accessory for the Instant Pot, you can place the green beans into a small colander and place into the pot on top of the rack.
Close lid and turn vent to the closed position. Cook on high pressure for 1 minute. Do a quick release.
Remove colander of beans. Drain all excess liquid from the pot. Add beans into the empty pot and add the butter, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

How do you store leftover instant pot green beans?

Store cooled leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. I like to reheat my green beans in a skillet over medium-low heat to keep them fairly crisp, but you can also microwave them in 1-minute increments until warmed through.

Are these green beans soft or crunchy?

Cooking the instant pot green beans for 1 minute in the pressure cooker will yield a perfect combination of tender-crisp beans. If you like your beans a little softer, feel free to add an extra minute or two to the cook time. Alternatively, if you like your beans on the crunchier side, you can set the time to 0 minutes. Yes, the beans will still cook at 0 minutes when coming to pressure in the instant pot!

Can you use frozen green beans for this recipe?

Yes, you can substitute with frozen green beans if needed. However, I would definitely recommend fresh for this recipe as the texture is superior!

Serving Suggestions

Serve instant pot green beans alongside just about any main course you have in mind. I especially love them with meatloaf, steak, baked salmon, or chicken dinners!

Optionally garnish your green beans with a squeeze of lemon, grated parmesan, sauteed bacon, or red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.

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